Air Force One photo op incident
. See also original unaltered photo.]] The Air Force One photo op incident occurred on the morning of April 27, 2009, when a Boeing VC-25 (a Boeing 747 military variant used as Air Force One when the president is aboard), followed by a U.S. Air Force F-16 jet fighter, flew low and circled the Upper New York Bay, site of the Statue of Liberty National Monument. President Barack Obama was not on board the aircraft during the incident. Although the planes were engaged in a photo op and training exercise, the citizens of New York and New Jersey had not been informed in advance, and some thought it could be the makings of a terrorist attack similar to the September 11 attacks. Some people ran out of buildings and panicked in the streets. Some buildings ordered evacuations."A 'Classified' Photo Op Turns Into a Soaring Blunder for the White House", The Wall St. Journal, April 28, 2009 Incident The flyby was approved by Louis Caldera, director of the White House Military Office, to update the previous image of the aircraft flying over Mount Rushmore. Fran Townsend, Homeland Security Advisor to George W. Bush, said the flyby was "crass insensitivity." She also said, "I'd call this felony stupidity. This is probably not the right job for Mr. Caldera to be in if he didn't understand the likely reaction of New Yorkers, of the mayor." The Mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, said that the flyby "defies the imagination." Senator Charles Schumer (D-New York) said the Federal Aviation Administration not telling the public about the flyby in advance "borders on being either cruel or very, very stupid." President Barack Obama did not know about the flyby until after it happened, and he stated, "It was a mistake. It was something we found out about along with all of you. And it will not happen again." Although the city's police department had been notified in advance, they had been instructed not to tell the public.Official who OK'd N.Y. flyby accused of 'felony stupidity', CNN Caldera said of his actions, "Last week, I approved a mission over New York. I take responsibility for that decision... While federal authorities took the proper steps to notify state and local authorities in New York and New Jersey, it's clear that the mission created confusion and disruption. I apologize and take responsibility for any distress that flight caused."White House sorry for NYC flyover, USA Today. April 27, 2009 CBS News's New York City affiliate WCBS-TV obtained a memo from the Federal Aviation Administration's James Johnston saying that the agency was aware of "the possibility of public concern regarding DOD (Department of Defense) aircraft flying at low altitudes" in and around the city.Avweb.com However, the agency demanded total secrecy from the city's police department, the Secret Service, the FBI, and the mayor's office, and threatened federal sanctions if the secret was revealed.FAA Memo: Feds Knew Flyover Would Cause NYC Panic, WCBS-TV, April 28, 2009 Air Force officials estimated the cost for the photo shoot mission to be around $328,835, but stated that "the hours would have been flown regardless, and the expenses would have been accrued on a different mission". The day after the flyby, White House spokesperson Robert Gibbs said that the incident would be investigated by Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina.Review of New York City flyover ordered, UPI, April 28, 2009 Gibbs also said that President Obama was "furious" about the flyby. However, Gibbs did not answer reporters' repeated questions about whether or not Caldera would lose his job. Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said that the idea for the flyby originated in the White House Military Office.Official May Be Fired for Authorizing N.Y. Flyover, The Washington Post, April 29, 2009Morrell Pentagon press conference transcript Gibbs also stated, "Because this was a training mission, the only people on that plane were Air Force personnel."Press Briefing By Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, whitehouse.gov, April 28, 2009 On May 4, 2009, the White House told reporters that the publicity photos taken during the flight would not be shown to the public.Phantom Air Farce Pictures, The New York Post, May 5, 2009 Two days later, the White House reversed course and told reporters that the publicity photos taken during the flight could be released soon.White House plans to release plane flyover report, photo, CNN, May 6, 2009 On May 8, 2009, the photo was released and it was reported that Caldera had resigned.Official who OK'd Air Force One jet flyover resigns, CNN, May 8, 2009Air Force One Photo Released. Was It Worth It?, NY1, May 8, 2009 In his letter of resignation,Text from Louis Caldera's letter of resignation Caldera told the president that after the incident he was no longer able to "effectively lead the White House Military Office" due to the furor over the incident.After Air Force One Flyover, Military Office Director Resigns On July 31, 2009, 146 photos and related documents were released through the Department of Defense's Freedom of Information Act procedures. In August, the Associated Press reported that the Air Force used the social networking site Twitter to track the negative public reaction to the incident.Richard Lardner, Air Force used Twitter to track NY flyover fallout , The Associated Press, Google News, August 10, 2009. Caldera's replacement, George Mulligan, was announced on October 16, 2009.McMichael, William H., "Replacement named after 747 flyover fiasco", Military Times, October 20, 2009. In August 2010, the Air Force notified the city of New York in advance that two F-16s would fly over the city on August 23, 2010.Siemaszko, Corky, "Air Force Puts City On Buzz Alert", New York Daily News, August 19, 2010, p. 12. References External links * Internal Review Concerning April 27, 2009 Air Force One Flight from White House Counsel's Office, May 5, 2009 * Freedom of Information documents released July 31, 2009. Includes 146 photos, flight manifest, and supporting Air Force documents. Category:Obama administration controversies Category:2009 controversies Category:2009 in American politics Category:2009 in New York